Portable self-contained oil-well heater



' I 1, 9,008 I R. 5. SHANNON E AL PORTABLE SELF CONTAINED OIL IBLL HEATER Aug. I

Filed April 19. 1.926

Fatented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD s. snANNoN AND PHILIP r. snANNoN, or DENVER, COLORADO.

PORTABLE SELF-CONTAINED OIL-WELL HEATER.

I Application area April is, 192 Serial No. 103,101.

This invention relates to a device for melting solidiied paraffin. asphalt, etc., from the walls and screens of an oilwell, and has forits principal object, the provisionof a a device of this character in which all of the heat will be confined to the particular area to which it is to be applied sothat itwill not create expansion in the well casing.

Another object isto so'construct the device that its] operation will not be interfered with by external liquids such as Oil and water. v

A further object is to prevent the gaseous vapors in the well from being exposedto a nakedfla-me or highly heated surfaceso as to prevent explosions and coking.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for economy, simplicity, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had tothe accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof.v

Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is avertical section through an oil well, illustrating the device in place.

Fig. 2 is a section through the lower portion of the heating device.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the upper portion of the heating device. The portion illustrated in Fig. 3 secures upon the portion of Fig. 2, as illustrated in broken line in the latter figure.

Fig. 1 is a cross section, taken on the line M, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 illustrates a liquid controlled valve which may be applied to the invention.

The device comprises a base tube 10, p

threaded to a body tube 11 by means of a coupling 12, and a radiating tube 13, thread cd to the body tube 11 by means of a similar coupling 14. The radiating tube 13 is closed at its top by means of a cap 15 through which an exhaust hose 16 communicates. A bail 17 is secured to the top of the radiating tube 13, by means of which, the entire device is lowered into the well on the drilling cable or sand line 18.

At the bottom of the radiating tube 13, a burner support 19 is placed, having a projecting flange 20 which rests on the upper edge of the body tube 11 and is clamped between the tubes ll and 13 within the coupling 14. The burner support 19 has openings 21 in its sides through which the various valves'and connections of the apparatus may be reached. \Vhen theradiating tube is in place the openings 21 are closed by the tube wall so as to prevent'leakage of gas from the lower part ofthe device to the burner, thereby preventing explosions, within the device.

Upon the, burner support 19, a burner 22,

is'carried fed from a. gasline 23 and an airline 24 cont-rolled byumeans ofa valve 25 and an air line valve 261espectively.

The gas line23 communicateslwith a gas tank 27 carried inthe bodytube 11, there being a pressure regulator 28'and'pressure valves 29 interposed for the proper control of theburner. The gas tank27 may contain any desired compressed combustible gas.

The air line 24 is fed from an air tank 30 carried in the base tube 10. A similar pressure regulator 31 andpressure gauges 32 are'arranged in the-air line 2a for the control of the air to the burner. The air tank may contain ordinary compressed. air or oxygen as desired. i i

The apparatus is erected as follows: The air tank 30 is placed within the base tube 10 and the pressure regulator 31 is set to give the proper delivery pressure upon the gauges 32, the valve 26 being closed; the body tube 11 is threaded into the sleeve 12; the gas tank 27 is now placed within the body tube 11, upon a suitable shelf 3 1; and the burner support 19 placed thereon. The gas and air lines are now connected through the burner support 19 to the burner 22; the valves 25 and 26 being adjusted through the openings 21 in the burner support 19 to give the roper flame at the burner; the burner is lighted and the radiating tube 13 slid over the burner support and threaded into the coupling 14. The device is now lowered into the well with the exhaust hose 16 fol-V hose 16. This feature enables a concentration of the radiated heat to be obtained so that the heat can be directed at any desired point in the Well without danger of injuring the well by an undue expansion of the well casing. The hose 16 prevents well gases from flowing into the radiating tube but should this hose become broken or leak, a safety screen arranged within the radiating tube 13 prevents the gases from reaching the flames.

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated means whereby the burner 22 may be shut off should the oil or water enter the exhaust hose 16 to prevent burning and choking of the oil within the heater. We accomplish this by placing a valve 86 in the burner 22 which controls both the gas line 23 and the air line 2st. The valve 36 is operated by a lever 37 from which a valve stem 38 extends entirely through the radiating tube 13 terminating in a cup 39. The exhaust hose 16 is extended within the cup 89, as shown at 42. The cup is supported upon a spring resting upon a cross bar 41. The spring 40 has sufficient stiffness to support the cup and valve stem when the cup is empty, but should fluid flow from the exhaust hose 16 into the cup, the weight thereof will compress the spring 40 and close the valve 36, thus effectively shutting off the flame before any fluid has entered the heater;

While a specific form of the improvement hasbeen described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, whatwe claim and desire secured by Letters Patent is i 1. An oil Well heating device comprising a base tube; a body tube; a radiating tube; an air tank in said base tube; a gas tank in said body tube; a burner arranged adjacent the lower extremity of said radiating tube and adapted to receive its fuel from said gas tank; and a burner support adapted to support said burner and close said radiating tube from said base tube; said burner support having openings in its sides, said open ingsbeing closed by the wall of said radiating tube.

2. In an oil Well heater having a burner; means for supplying combustibles to said burner; and a gravity operated valve arranged to extinguish the flame of said burner.

An'oil well heating devicecomprising a burner; a valve controlling the operation of said burner; a radiating tube extending above said burner; an exhaust tube extending above said radiating tube; a fluid cup arranged below said exhaust tube; and means for connecting said cup to said valve so that fluid in the former will operate the latter.

In testimony whereof, we aiiix our signatures.

RICHARD S. SHANNON. PHILIP F. SHANNON. 

